A Perthshire hospital unit is to be closed this weekend due to staff absences.
Crieff Minor Injury and Illness Unit (MIIU) has been shut temporarily today (Friday, January 3), and is expected to remain closed until Monday morning.
The MIIU is normally open from 9am until 5pm during the week, and from 9am until 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and deals with injuries and illnesses that are not serious, such as earaches, cuts, minor burns and sprains.
Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership has said the closure is due to “staffing difficulties”, caused by unplanned staff absences.
It will be closed on Friday, January 3, Saturday, January 4 and Sunday, January 5, and is set to reopen and return to normal operating hours from 9am on Monday, January 6.
Gordon Paterson, chief officer at the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We would like to apologise for any disruption this may cause.
“It is essential that we provide a MIIU service with appropriately skilled staff which is safe for patients and staff.
“Due to unplanned staff absence, we have had to make the decision to restrict the opening of the unit for a temporary period.”
Patients are being advised to contact their GP during opening hours or NHS 24 on 111 in out-of-hours periods if they have a problem which cannot wait until their GP surgery reopens.
If appropriate, they will be redirected to the emergency centre in Perth or an alternative MIIU in Perth and Kinross.
